


Dark Awakenings

by Wolfca



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: F/M, Smut, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-23 10:05:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6113134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfca/pseuds/Wolfca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My version of how Season 3 episode 16 'Awakening' could have ended. The rating is a warning to dark themes inside - you have been warned. What if Nikola hadn't cleaned the blood off his hands when they were in Afina's tomb?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It is Accomplished

Helen had just smashed the purple crystalline tomb enough so she could extract some blood. Helen rushed to the med kit and pulled the syringe out; she didn't know what she was doing. The medical part of her brain was screaming at her that she should test the blood for any sort of disease but her heart was shouting louder that Nikola will very much die without this blood. Carefully she extracted enough blood and rushed to Nikola's side. Pulling up his sleeve she hesitated slightly as she saw he was on the verge of death. Not caring about her medical brain anymore she injected the blood straight into his arm and waited for an eternity, praying she did the right thing. Her hands held his head as her thumbs stroked his cheek.

"Come on Nikola, fight! Fight." Helen told him hoping he'd hear her.

Sure enough in a few moments his body convulsed once before he arched his back and the wound sealed instantly, long claws extended and a vampiric growl escaped his lips before he sat up right, black eyes gleaming and sharp teeth showing in a toothy smile.

"I'm back baby! Oh and it feels good!" Nikola said happily.

Helen had jumped backwards and only just caught herself before she fell flat on the floor. She tried to smile but all she managed was a sigh of relief before wondering what she had unleashed back on the world. Nikola examined his now ruined shirt amazed how he hadn't died much sooner as he realised which organs had actually been punctured. Helen leant forwards and pushed him back down to the ground wanting to examine him.

"My Helen I should die more often if seeing me alive and kicking gets you jump on top of me." Nikola said to her an arm sneaking round her waist.

Helen just huffed as her fingers pressed into the hole in his shirt to check him, amazed when she felt his solid muscular body under her fingers. Nikola's arm was now secure enough round her waist to pull her down on top of him till she was straddling him.

"Come on Helen admit it now. You were worried for me and thought I might die." Nikola said to Helen.

Helen just growled and struggled to get out of his grip. Once she did she headed to the opposite side of the room. Nikola just continued to smile before standing up and flexing his body till he felt satisfied that he was back to 'normal'. Helen started to pack their stuff up determined to get out of her now.

"No Nikola, I need to get you back to the Sanctuary and examine you properly." Helen told him as she stuffed the medical kit into her backpack a little too rough.

"Oh is there a strip involved?" Nikola asked excited.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Helen asked instead.

"Are you kidding I feel great better than I have in years!" Nikola retorted back as he picked up his coat to put it on. "So how did you manage to... Wow! Never underestimate the power of a woman's determination."

"Well the...," Helen struggled for a good enough answer, "Stunner beam must have weakened the crystal matrix."

"Oh right, right, didn't have anything to do with your fear of losing me." Nikola replied, one arm in his jacket sleeve.

"Don't let it go to your head. Now can we get out of here please?" Helen said wanting to get away from here.

"Allow me." Nikola replied now with his jacket on as he headed over to the entrance, "Let's see."

Nikola examined the wall in front of him. However Helen dragged his attention to the panel next to it.

"I found these markings, thought they might be sensors but nothing seems to operate the door." Helen replied.

"Right. Maybe they're burnt out." Nikola replied as he traced the markings with his fingers.

All of a sudden the door opened and the pair watched wide eyed as it opened.

"Vampire." Nikola said triumphantly.

"I don't think so otherwise it would have opened for me picking up the source blood in my own." Helen replied then she noticed his hands were still bloodied.

"Blood." Helen figured it out.

"Excuse me?" Nikola asked.

"You have blood on your fingers. That's how the door opened." Helen smiled as she grabbed their bags and ran out the door.

Nikola took one last look round the place before he went through the door as it closed behind him. Nikola soon caught up with Helen and no matter how much he may have flirted and everything else, he was glad to be alive and so was Helen. But also Nikola felt like he accomplished his dream for the past few months. He was back to being a vampire with Helen's help and he was complete once again. His life was back and right now he wanted to head back to their hotel room and he wanted to show Helen how much he appreciated this accomplishment in his life.

As they left however, neither one of them noticing or hearing the faint cracking noise behind them or the tiny falling pieces of purple crystal.


	2. Rhythm of the Heat

Helen and Nikola made it back to their waiting jeep and camp. Helen wanted to head back to town and then home to the Sanctuary with Nikola to check him over. However Nikola wanted to stay in the camp for another night, claiming the shock of nearly dying was catching up with him and he needed to allow it all to sink in before heading off again. Helen hadn't wanted to but she decided in the morning they would set off again. Nikola was sat on the edge of his camp bed and barely nodded.

Helen sat on her own bed opposite him and watched him. His arms rested on his knees as his hands hung loosely. His feet were wide enough apart that Helen could stand between them if she wished. But her attention was drawn back to his hands. The hands that she had known built many machines and weapons. But also wrote lovely letters and notes. But Helen knew they were strong as well and could tear a man limb from limb if he so chose to. So it amazed her that for the first time in her life she saw them shaking. Helen's gazed travelled upwards and over his slender and lean body and arms. Apart from the whole in his shirt she'd never really seen his body at all and always wondered what he looked like underneath his suits. His head hung on his shoulders as he rested his elbows on his knees and placed his head in his hands. A heavy ragged breath shook out of his body and was strong enough to shake his shoulders. Even through his shirt Helen could make out the outline of his shoulder blades as she took in ruffled hair that always made her smile. No matter how much he tried to look all tidy in his suits, his hair always betrayed him and gave him a wild look.

Nikola sighed again but not as forcibly as he lifted his head and noticed Helen was looking straight at him. Nikola tried to crack a smile however it quickly left his face as soon as it was there. Helen could see something was very much bothering her friend and she wanted to help him but she didn't know what was wrong.

"Nikola?" Helen asked him gently.

Nikola looked straight at her before hiding his face again in his hands.

"Nikola what's wrong?" Helen asked panic in her voice fearing it was the pure blood she had injected him with.

"It's just so much to take in." Nikola breathed suddenly feeling like he didn't know what to do with himself.

"What is?" Helen asked him.

Helen had a rough idea what is it was but she knew getting him to say it would help him overcome it.

"I'm an immortal and I nearly died. God Helen you have no idea what I went through in there while I was lying there against that pillar." Nikola replied more strongly.

Nikola stood up, one hand on his hip the other rubbing hard in his hair as if it would ease his thoughts by rubbing them out.

"All I could think about was how pathetic my life was. How little I had accomplished. All the chances I had missed." Nikola said to her the last bit aimed at Helen.

Helen watched him silently letting him say his peace. He put his back to her as he thought about something. Nikola knew she took a massive risk injecting pure vampire blood into him but what if it hadn't worked. He spun back round to face her and sat back down in the same seating position he had been.

"Helen what if... what if..." Nikola couldn't get the question out.

Nikola lowered his head again and entwined his fingers behind his neck to keep his head down. Helen couldn't bear to see him this way. It was bringing tears to her eyes knowing that Nikola was facing the one thing an immortal doesn't think about, their own death. Helen moved off her bed and knelt down to the ground, her knees between his feet as she knew he'd be able to see them. Helen reached up and placed her hands over his glad when he let his fingers go and sought her fingers to entwine them with his and held her as tight as if she was his life line. Helen heard him sniff and knew he was trying to hold back emotion. Helen realised this was the first time he'd ever really shown his emotional vulnerability. Leaning forward she rested her forehead against his head. Nikola let go of a shaky breath his grip on Helen's hands was tighter but not quite painfully yet.

"Am I alive?" Nikola asked barely a whisper.

Helen couldn't help her own tears falling now. It pained her to hear him doubt his ability to survive.

"Yes Nikola you're alive." Helen told him as a tears rolled down her cheek and onto the floor.

"I don't feel it." Nikola said as he lifted his head.

Helen let go of his hands but entwined them again so Nikola could place his hands on her hips as she sat up to match his movements. Nikola rested his head on her forehead returning the gesture. Helen let her thumbs strum over his taunt neck muscles feeling the tension in them.

"You're alive Nikola." Helen repeated.

Nikola sighed as he moved his head to the crook of her neck, his lips ghost over her skin as he spoke.

"Help me feel alive again." Nikola said his lips brushing her skin with every word.

Helen's breath caught in her throat as Nikola placed the softest of kisses to her neck before letting his tongue lap at her skin for a while before returning his lips to the wet patch. Helen let her head drop to his shoulder as well; a shuddering breath left her and blew across Nikola's skin. Normally Helen would reject this kind of behaviour from him but right now she knew he needed it so she gave in. Nikola's grip on her hips tightened slightly as he continued to kiss and lick at her neck. Then out of blue he blew cold air over the spot. Helen clutched tighter to his neck as she practically jumped towards him. The mixture of pleasure then cold sent pleasure shivers down her body. Warmth pulsed out of her as she grazed his neck with her teeth a shuddering sigh escaping her lips.

Nikola lifted Helen suddenly as he fell back onto his camp bed bringing Helen to lie on top on him and between his legs. Helen kept her arms behind his neck as she purposely slid and rubbed her body against his as she moved higher up his body. Nikola ground his hips into hers, his obvious arousal pushing against Helen's. They both moaned in pleasure before eyes locked on each other, both sets glazed with lust and desire. Both of them knowing there was no turning back. Helen brought her lips crashing down to his as they fought for dominance in the hot searing kiss. Helen ground her hips repeatedly into Nikola's who did the same. They both needed the friction but it just wasn't enough. Nikola's fingertips dug deeper into Helen's hips in frustration as he growled through the kiss. Roughly he rolled Helen over so he was on top and used his body to push against her. His lips seeking out her neck as he gently nipped her. Nikola could feel her nails digging into his neck and he growled again before leaning back so her hands fell past his neck. Before Helen could put them back, Nikola grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head as he brought his body back down. His mouth was open, teeth showing as he let out a hot breath over face. Frustration seemed to be in his eyes like this was his show. His being alive display and Helen was going to fight his dominance all the way as she wanted to feel alive as well.

Helen wrapped a smooth jeaned leg over his hips and tightened her grip quickly to slam his arousal back down to hers and used his grip as leverage to grind against him once more. The result was driving Nikola mad with arousal and annoyance that she was still trying to take over. Nikola held her bound hands with one long fingered hand while his other trailed down body to her breast where he squeezed it roughly. Helen yelped and stopped grinding against him. Nikola used her distracted form to bring his lips to hers and forcibly push his tongue into Helen's mouth, tasting her and also duelled with her own tongue. Every time she tried to win he squeezed her breast again resulting in her yelping into his mouth. Nikola chuckled deep in his chest. Helen didn't like losing to Nikola so she bit down on his lower lip, sucking on the swollen lip pulling it into her mouth. Nikola moaned when he felt her teeth pierce his lip. He could feel his blood ooze out of the wound before healing. Helen's tongue slipped over the wound and licked the blood away before he kissed him again as the taste was mixed with blood. Nikola groaned as the taste of blood sent him wild. Nikola moved his lips to her delicate jaw line where he began to bite down along the bone towards her neck. The bites weren't hard enough to draw blood but enough for Helen to get the pain pleasure response. Once Nikola's lips touched her neck he sucked and licked his way down the front of her throat till he reached the point where it joined the top of her chest.

Helen's hands were now freed as Nikola used both his arms to brace himself above Helen's chest. Helen's arms flung round his neck as she arch into his touch as her head went back into his pillows. Nikola moved his hands down her sides to her waist line where he began to tug her clothes out of her belt. Once they were freed. Nikola began to kiss down the chest. Pausing only once to place a gentle kiss on her necklace before continuing down between her breasts and further down till he reached her belt. Nikola heard her groan at the slowness and decided he wouldn't do what she thought he was going to do. Nikola lifted her blouse high enough so he could kiss and admire her smooth stomach while he left a talon grew and quickly and fluidly he hooked it over the top of her blouse and tugged downwards. The resulting tear made Helen gasp as the cool night air covered her now exposed chest. Even her bra hadn't stopped his talon. Nikola chuckled again against her stomach before he sat up to admire the view. Nikola reached down and pulled Helen up with him so he could push her now torn clothes off her arms. Nikola left himself exposed to Helen's attack when he tossed them aside and Helen clutched both sides of his shirt and ripped it open, buttons flying away. Nikola growled his annoyance at a good shirt being ruined till he remembered it did have 2 gaping holes in it.

Before Nikola could reclaim his dominance, Helen ignored the thought of admiring his now exposed torso for the first time for her to see as she placed her lips against his Adam's apple and gently grazed it with her teeth as revenge for earlier with her jaw. Helen licked at it as she felt his gurgled moan rumble up his throat. Nikola could feel his head roll back as he allowed Helen a chance to torture him. Helen wasted no time as she moved her fingers over his muscles, stroking each one individually as she brought her hands higher and higher while her mouth continued to torture his neck. Her fingers flicked over his nipples and Nikola took in a sharp breath. Helen smiled before licking one of them and blowing cold air over the now wet nipple. Nikola's eyes flew open as a loud moan filled the air. Nikola looked at Helen in shock as she smiled at him. Nikola shoved her hard back down to the bed and Helen laughed as she slightly bounced on the quilt he insisted on having under him to make the canvas bed more bearable to sleep on. Before Helen had stopped bouncing, Nikola's head descended on her chest as he took one of her nipples into his mouth and massaged the other. Helen almost screamed with pleasure as he repeated her treatment on his chest and his mouth and hand switched between them till she was begging.

"Please Nikola make me feel alive too." Helen begged, sweat formed on her face as her long hair clung to her in patches.

Nikola couldn't deny her. He looked into her eyes and saw she really wanted him. Nikola was practically panting before he leant down to kiss her softly giving her his answer as his hands started working on her jeans. Helen's hands joined his and together they undid both of their pants. Now they were a little more exposed their movements became frantic, desperate to feel one another naked. Once they had shed the last of their clothing they lay next to each other on their sides facing each other, heavy breathes shared between them on the small bed. Hands caressed each other as they shuffled closer for hot fiery kisses. Helen wrapped a leg over Nikola's slender hip and pulled him closer to where she wanted him.

"Da Moja Ljubrav." (Yes My Love) Nikola slipped his Serbian tongue.

Nikola used his strength and wrapped one arm round Helen's shoulder to lift her up and flat to his chest. Helen wrapped both her legs now round his waist while Nikola held her off the bed under him. Helen clutched her arms round his neck but Nikola still held her to him as he trailed a line back along her jaw to the crook of her neck. His mouth found the hollow of her collarbone as he licked and kissed her. Helen threw her head back giving him all the skin he could want. Her head didn't even touch the bed and Helen felt suddenly giddy as if she was flying or something. Pulling her legs closer she brought her hips closer to Nikola's as she could feel his throbbing member. Nikola groaned as his teeth grazed her shoulder. Helen didn't care as she teased him so his tip was at her entrance. Nikola groaned louder as his arm round her shoulder clutched her tighter when he felt how wet she was for him. However his dominant streak returned and he let go of her shoulders so she landed back on the bed while he untangled her legs from round his waist. She may want to feel alive but he was the one that nearly died so he felt like he had to be in control. Helen huffed at the loss of control but when she saw Nikola's eyes a fleeting moment of panic rushed over her. His eyes were dark with lust and desire but there was something underneath it all, something primal and animalistic. Before she could react a rush of adrenaline surged through her body as she answered his primal call for dominance. Both growling they both tried to kiss each other but ended up having a show of teeth as neither one could make the other submit. Helen managed to bite down on Nikola's lower lip again but he growled before pulling away, blood seeping out of the wound once again. The blood just set him off more as he snarled down at Helen, showing his fast healing wound before he leaned down and managed to catch her lips. Every time she tried to challenge him he snarled at her using his weight to push her into the bed till she yielded to his rough kisses.

Not caring if she was ready or not he roughly pushed his way into her core as deep as he could go. Helen screamed in pleasure as she frantically tried to grab him for support and her sanity. But Nikola didn't let her as he grabbed her wrists and slammed them hard to the bed, pinning her beneath him.

"You are mine now." Nikola growled at her.

It was a statement and Helen knew it. Helen knew Nikola had won and would do whatever he liked to her. A moment of fear washed over her and what a newly re-vamped vampire might do but then she knew she could trust him as he was one of her oldest friends. But then she didn't know if they could be called friends now or lovers. Nikola pulled out before slammed back in hard into Helen. Helen yelped at the mixture of pleasure and pain. Nikola kept up the pace and Helen could do nothing to stop him, nor did she want to. The grip he held on her wrists tightened with each slow hard thrust till Helen was beginning to worry that soon he was going to dislocate them. The next thrust was more pain then pleasure and Helen cried out in pain and squirmed against him. Nikola didn't noticed till he looked down and saw she was nearly sobbing beneath him. Whatever dark beast had taken hold of him disappeared when his heart saw the pain she was in. Looking at her wrists he saw the red marks already forming and knew they would bruise. He let her go and Helen pulled her wrists to her chest as she tried to rub the pain away.

"Oh god I'm so sorry." Nikola apologised as he tried to figure out how to make it up to her.

Thinking he had spoiled their night he went to pull out and get clothed but Helen stopped him.

"Don't leave me Nikola. I'll be ok." Helen said to him as she stroked his cheek.

Nikola could feel a sob wrench itself free from his chest. Never had he ever thought he could bring harm to Helen and now he had. Helen pulled him down to rest his head on her chest as she held him while he sobbed his apologises to her.

"I'm so sorry Helen. I don't know what came over me." Nikola apologised.

"Don't be sorry. You're alive. I'd be lying if I didn't feel some dark primal urge go through me then." Helen admitted

Nikola braced himself up on his arms to look at Helen amazed at her own admittance. Emotions were running high and it was making things more intense. But they had both tasted they're dark sides, now it was time for their loving sides to show. Nikola kissed her softly. Gone was the fevered rush for dominance from earlier. The animal had gone now it was replaced by a loving and caring. Helen responded and was amazed at the amount of love she had buried deep for him. Nikola's hands gently smoothed her body rather than trying to find her pleasure points they loved as his fingertips explored every part of her skin he could reach. Helen slipped her tongue into his mouth as she explored his mouth and tasted him before Nikola did the same back. Helen thrust against Nikola as she set the pace. Nikola was a little hesitant at first but he soon matches her rhythm. It was tortuously slow but it dragged out the pleasure of each movement. Their slick bodies slid effortlessly over each other as the beginnings of their emotional released built between them.

Nikola stilled her movements wanting to grab it out and Helen gladly got the messaged. In their emotional heightened state they both knew they're release would come quickly. Sweat stung Nikola's eyes and he used a free hand to swipe at his brow. A drop of sweat dropped of his nose and onto Helen's lips. Helen licked it away while Nikola watched her as she tasted his very essence. Helen liked the taste that was just him as he pulled him down and began to kiss away the sweat from his face. Nikola returned the gesture with the occasional lick causing Helen to moan. Feeling they had moved calmed down enough Nikola sat up and pulled Helen with him. Nikola's hands were on Helen's hips as he held her slightly above his hips allowing him to begin the slow thrusts once again but just a little bit quicker. Helen wrapped her arms round his neck to relieve some of the pressure off his nervous hands that weren't sure how hard to hold her. Glad for the relief Nikola leant forward and began his torturous worship of her delicate neck. Licking and kissing and blowing cool air as his hot body no longer knew what cold was. Helen's head rolled back in rapture as he continued his worship.

"Oh god Nikola." Helen sighed in ecstasy.

"That's my name don't wear it out." Nikola replied a smile playing on his lips.

Helen chuckled and the vibrations went down her body to her core surrounding Nikola as he gasped and held her still. Now was his turn to throw his head back in rapture and Helen wasted no time in kissing and lapping at his slim neck. Her tongue played along the tense ridges of his neck muscles.

"Gods Helen!" Nikola nearly shouted through his pleasure filled haze.

"Now that's my name and don't wear it out." Helen returned the joke which Nikola was all too happy to return the chuckle.

Both let out a heated gasp as they held on tightly through the sensitive overload their bodies were going through.

"I really doubt I'm gonna last much longer at this rate." Nikola admitted to Helen as he rested his forehead between her breasts.

"Neither am I." Helen told him as her hands ruffled his sweat filled hair.

Nikola nodded before gently turning them so she was on top. Nikola trailed his hands up her body to cup both of her breasts in his large hands. Helen moved on top but Nikola moved quicker still as he massaged Helen's chest in time to his thrusts. Helen moved faster still till they were both grunting and groaning, needing their release more than ever. Nikola could feel his own release fast approaching but he could feel Helen holding back.

"Let go." Nikola whispered as he snaked a finger down her body knowing she knew full well its intended target.

"I can't." Helen panicked.

It had been far too long since Helen had lain with a man and she feared she didn't remember how to let go. Nikola's hand stayed close to its intended place as he gently massaged her taunt stomach, feeling her need and her tension.

"Just let your body take over." Nikola grunted as he was now holding himself back.

Helen felt tears pricking at her eyes and as she looked down at Nikola she could see tears in his own eyes.

"For me." Nikola begged.

Helen tried but it wasn't working. It wasn't Nikola's fault; he was hitting all the right spots but she just couldn't. Nikola let out a strangled sob as he continued to hold himself back. His thumb went to her clit as he pressed and flicked it a couple of times. Helen screamed out loudly as her head fell back in bliss. Her muscles clamped so hard around Nikola he couldn't hold back any longer before he spilled into her. A gasping groan shuddering from his body as his arms held Helen for support. Their emotions making the release so much sweeter and needed and meant much more between them. Helen felt her body sag and she couldn't move her body as she wanted. Nikola used the last of his strength and guided her gently to his body, still buried deep inside. The resulting moving of their bodies made them shudder with the powerful aftershocks of their release and once they finally settled lying side by side wrapped in each other's arms and believed they were both well and truly spent, one last aftershock hit both their ragged bodies so strong they both came again in shock that they both had more to spend.

Helen watched Nikola as his eyes were tightly screwed shut as he shuddered with the last of his release. When his body still his breath came in great gulps. His eyes opened and Helen could see in his light blue eyes shock of wondering where it came from. When he saw Helen looking at him he couldn't stop the grin spreading over his face. Helen pressed a finger to his lips to stop any wisecracks he might come out with.

"Don't spoil the mood." Helen warned.  
Nikola was about to protest and Helen push back enough to free herself from Nikola. Nikola whimpered at the loss of the intimate contact but Helen soon wrapped herself back into his arms. In truth Nikola couldn't think of a wisecrack his eyes struggled to stay open but he knew there was still some things he had to say before he let sleep take over.

"I think it's safe to say the world knows we're alive." Nikola breathed.

"Oh yes." Helen smiled glad they were in the middle of a desert so no one could hear them.

"Also know this Helen. No matter what I say or do, I love you so much." Nikola told her.

"And I love you too Nikola. I have for some time now but it took nearly losing you for me to realise that truth." Helen replied as she cuddled up closer to him.

Nikola wanted to retort back at her wanting to know how long but he knew it would fall on deaf ears as Helen was sleeping contently against him. Nikola just smiled before kissing the top of her head before closing his eyes to the welcoming blackness of sleep and the odd dreamy image of his Helen.


	3. The Tracker

Helen wakes up, her bodying still humming from the previous night. In places she was sore but she knew it wasn't permanent. Suddenly she realised she wasn't resting against the warm body she was expecting. Reaching out with a hand she found she was in fact alone in the bed. Helen sat up and looked around her and noticed everything that was his was gone. It was almost as if he was never here. Helen knew otherwise from now seeing bruises on her wrists and clear bite marks on her skin. Helen couldn't believe him, no scrub that, she could believe him for doing something like this. All she was to him was a quick fuck then leave. He'd taken what he wanted from her then left. Not even a note was left behind which hurt Helen even more. Had Nikola really sunk that low to think of her as some common piece of meat off the streets? Helen was now regretting re-vamping him if this was how he viewed her.

"Bloody bastard!" Helen cursed before rummaging round her bags for a fresh set of clothes.

Even with the fresh clothes on her skin she now felt used and dirty and wanted nothing more than a shower and a scrub to get rid of the dirty feeling. But being in the middle of the desert, Helen didn't have the luxury as she opted to pack up quickly and head back to the local city to get a shower. Being on her own made taking the tent down tricky but Helen didn't care if the canvas tore or a tent pole bent. She could afford a brand new one. Shoving the gear into her jeep she took one last look around her for any signs of the Serbian vampire bastard. But Helen knew he was long gone, to where she didn't care. The drive back to civilisation took her a couple of hours but it kept her mind occupied. Once in the town she found a hotel room with a working shower and was glad to get under the running water.

Helen hadn't felt the need to rub herself red raw since she found out John was in fact Jack the Ripper. Now she was doing it with her other last really old friends, Nikola Tesla. She hated men using women in that way and she expected better from Nikola but once again she was proven wrong about him. The pain from rubbing herself raw left her sobbing in pain but she didn't care. All she wanted was to rub away every touch, every kiss, and every bite he had done to her. Helen slid her back down the wall till she was sitting on the floor of the shower her head in her hands as she cried her heart out. Nikola may not have been truthful with his words but Helen was. In the time he had spent de-vamped and in her company helping her with the holographic map she had slowly grown fond of him and even fell for his charm. Helen nearly fell for it when he came to her bedroom late one night saying he'd cracked the map with his light theory. He looked so cute while he switched the torches saying 'yellow, white, yellow, white'. Then he placed his hand on her hip when she commented on his genius. It took all of her strength to tell him to leave as she knew she would keep him in bed for the rest of the night if she didn't send him away. And yet she was surprised when he had left out of respect.

After that night, things went so well between them as she started to give in to his charm and he showed more respect to her, no longer pushing himself towards her and letting her come to him at times. Then Adam showed up and things went chaotic. By the time they got back from Praxis he was gone. Helen didn't know what had happened when he was left alone with John and Adam but clearly something had pissed him off. Helen put it down to the fact that he wanted to go with them but none of them would. Helen did feel sorry for him as he did put in a lot of his time and effort into the map and was then denied its treasure. However Helen had found this outpost and gave him a call and he came running back to her. Glad to finally get to see something Praxian for his own eyes. Finding a vampire tomb was the last thing either of them had been expecting till it nearly killed him. All in all Helen had told him the truth when she said she loved him and he just used her for his own goal, a notch on his bedpost so to speak.

The water turned freezing and Helen didn't care as she felt the water hit her body like sharp ice shards. But Helen felt like the water was the same temperature as he heart now and the pain from each drop of water beating down her was nothing compare to the pain in her icy heart as she set her walls back up, locking it away to never be thawed again let alone touched. Even when she was shivering Helen didn't noticed her skin was still bright red. Red from heat or red from freezing, she didn't care. When her skin went patchy blue she still didn't notice, believing it was just more bruises and injuries Nikola had inflicted on her. Helen felt her eyes begin to close as she succumbed to her body shutting down. Her pulse slowed as sleep tugged at her. But Helen didn't want to sleep. What's the point in sleeping if you're only going to wake up alone? Hissing in pain, Helen turned the water off and climbed out of the shower and dried herself off. Noticing only now how much she was shaking from the cold, Helen wrapped herself up in bed with as many layers as she could as well as a good cup of tea as she attempted to warm her body back up.

During the night Helen went warm enough to start taking away layers of blankets before wrapping one round her completely and making herself another brew. As she settled back down for some more sleep she heard a scream outside and screams of panic. One word did stick out stronger than the rest and Helen froze hoping she hadn't heard right. Then it was shouted again and again. Putting her brew down she quickly got changed and went outside to investigate.

There on the roadside outside the hotel was body, a man. Helen could see his arms and legs had been badly broken as if to stop him from fighting back or maybe running. Blood covered his body and spilled onto the road turned the brown dusty road into a slick dark brown road. Helen managed to get a closer look saying she was a doctor. The sight frightened her as she recognised the deep gouges in the man's chest where long talons would have swiped him. The cuts so clean and fluid only a something that could move with incredible speeds could cause them. Then she saw the tell tale bite on the man's neck. The sharp of the teeth marks was clearly a vampire as she doubted there was any land sharks. Then Helen realised that the wound and blood was fresh like moments ago fresh. Helen felt a cold wave wash over her as though she realised that when she heard the scream that was when the attack happen.

Helen saw a woman in shock as she sat with her legs up to her chest rocking back and forth. Helen approached her and could hear her mumbling under her breath the native word for Vampire.

"Vampier, vampier, vampier." The old woman breathed as she rocked back and forth.

Helen crouched down to her level to look into her eyes. Helen looked at gentle as she could so as not to frighten her.

"Is that what you saw? A vampire?" Helen asked using the English translation.

The woman stopped moving as she turned her frozen to her.

"Its eyes were black and soulless! Hands with claws like an animal's! Teeth like a haai (shark)! It was devil's servant!" The woman spoke afraid of saying the words least she be heard by the monster.

Helen needed more info as she prayed it wasn't who she thought.

"What did it look like? Male, female, tall, short?" Helen inquired further.

"He was slightly taller then you and really thin. Dark wild hair. I'm sorry but I can't tell you anything else as I was so afraid I was next." The woman admitted.

Helen nodded before standing and looking around again and thought she caught sight of those vampire eyes across the road in the shadows. Helen crossed the road to examine the spot but saw nothing and could see nothing moving away. But as Helen looked through the trees to the horizon, she could just make out in beginning to turn dark blue sky, the mountain where the Praxian stronghold was.

"Oh god, Nikola. Please don't say you've turned." Helen breathed as she stared at the mountain for a while.

Like a whisper on the wind she felt the barest of touches to her neck and the faintest of whispers.

"Join me Ljubrav."

Helen looked all around her and couldn't see anything but the Serbian word was so clear to Helen that only one person would use it when talking to her.

"No Nikola." Helen whispered as she felt tears prick her eyes at the possibility of losing another friend to the source blood like John.

Suddenly fear ran down Helen's spine as she realised that Nikola knew where she was and how to drag her into the open. Helen walked back towards the hotel. Not noticing the man who was stood beside her the whole time, his dark eyes watching every movement she made. Nor did Helen feel the outstretched clawed hand move slowly out to grab her before retreating back into the shadows.


	4. Low Light

Helen return to her room and packed all her stuff, leaving the crime scene to the local police. As she looked out of her window she still felt like someone was watching her every movements. Not liking what was going on so fast she decided to call Will. Having running round the room for a while waving her phone round till it got signal she was glad for the ringing tone.

"Magnus, everything alright?" Will asked.

"Hello Will. How soon can you come out to my location?" Helen asked back as she wasn't sure of the situation right now.

"Give us a day then we'll be with you. We've got a Taminsail problem we're dealing with." Will answered.

"Save the abnormals first then head here. I've got a feeling we've got vampire problems." Helen said without thinking.

"Wait Tesla is back to being a vampire?" Will asked a bit of shock in his voice.

"Yes he is. We found a vampire corpse and I injected the blood into him to save his life. This in turn re-vamped him." Helen told him.

"See I knew he was trouble. Haven't I always said it? So what has that blood sucking creep done now?" Will asked but Helen noted the tone of voice saying 'I told you so'.

"I'm not even sure it is him. A man has been killed and it looks to be the work of a vampire. But I can't tell for certain it was Nikola." Helen told him not sure where the thought of Nikola still being an innocent came from.

"Well why don't you ask him or pump his stomach for human blood?" Will sounded a bit confused.

"That's the thing, he's not with me. He disappeared this morning." Helen said as she felt like she had to sit as a wave of nausea washed over her remembering this morning.

"Why aren't I surprised? Seriously Helen all he ever does is use you for his own goals then leaves." Will told her sternly down the phone.

Will's words cut into Helen like a hot knife through butter.

"Just get here as soon as you can Will. If there is another vampire around I'm gonna need back up." Helen told him before hanging up.

Helen tried to stop the rising bile but the more she tried to stop it the more it fought its way up till she bolted to throw up down the toilet. It was several moments later before Helen could stop retching, tears stinging her eyes as she splashed water over her face and swilling out her mouth. Helen grabbed her backpack and left the hotel and went straight to her jeep. Helen needed to know if Nikola was really behind this killing. As she drove her mind kept going over everything trying to find a clue to this sudden change in behaviour. The only thing Helen could take as different was last night with the dark sex. Helen had to admit she had trysts with him in the past but nothing like that. They had been a simple casual fling where one or both were just looking for some sort of release.

But last night was something else, there was raw emotion there but she only believed Nikola's words could be cruel not his actions. Thinking about Helen could still feel the sore spots all over her body where he gripped her tightly or bit her too hard even thrusting into her too hard. It reminded her of John a lot, like Nikola had been possessed by something and he was fighting it for control. Helen now knew she had to find him and soon. Not caring about safety she tried to ring his phone but he didn't answer. Up ahead the mountain loomed closer as quick as the rising sun. Helen stopped the jeep and grabbing her backpack she pulled out a spare locator tag and left it in her jeep for her team. Carefully she crept closer to rocky outcroppings and pulled out her binoculars. Helen scanned the area and saw two people standing guard by the entrance. Helen looked puzzled as to where they came from. Helen decided to wait for back up.

Setting up camp she waited in a much smaller tent till her team would arrive; making sure Will gave her update messages as to where he was. By nightfall again she sat outside in the pitch black. Helen didn't set up a fire as she wanted to keep her whereabouts a secret. However in this pitch blackness she could tell a shadow apart from friend or foe. A chill ran up her spine and that familiar being watched feeling came over her. Helen waited still in the darkness, shivering more in the cold night air of the desert. Knowing she should grab a blanket but the feeling was getting closer. Helen's heart pounded inside her chest.

If she moved, she was dead.

If she stayed still, she was dead.

Fear.

Adrenalin.

She knew her stalker could sense it too. Helen didn't stop it, letting her body naturally respond to her predator inviting it closer still. Helen began to see a dark shape moving around her.

Sniffing.

Stalking.

Helen blinked.

The shadow moved closer in that split second.

Helen's breath came in ever shorter pants.

A faint touch to her back and Helen froze.

He was here.


	5. White Ashes

The predator let a deep low chuckle escape their lips, masculine by the sound. Helen was still rooted to the spot, the perfect prey. Helen mentally prepared herself to move. She felt his warm breath on the back of her neck. It hit her neck like the very fact he had frozen his prey as arousing. Helen closed her eyes to make it look like she was closing them out of fear but in fact she was planning her next move. Her first move had to stun him no matter what. Taking in a deep breath she went to strike.

"Ljubrav." The voice said into her ear.

Helen was distracted and miscalculated her swing and she gasped when she felt her wrist caught by unfamiliar hands.

"That's what he calls you is it not?" The predator asked her.

Helen now was truly afraid. All this time she thought she was about to fight Nikola and might be able to talk some sense into him but now she found out the awful truth. Nikola wasn't her predator but another vampire. Another vampire who had now caught her and she had no rescue nearby. Helen wanted to know where this vampire came from but right now she had to stop him. The predator grabbed her from behind and Helen quickly threw her head back to crack his nose before swinging and elbow backwards and winding him. The arms round her throat loosened and she grabbed them tightly before pulled the predator over her head and slamming to the floor. Moving quickly she drew her knife and stabbed him in the side of the throat. The vampire shrieked in pain giving Helen time to run to her jeep and get her gun. The predator pulled the knife out and threw it back at Helen. The knife embedded itself in her windshield and Helen fired a full magazine of tranquiliser into the predator knocking him out cold.

Helen moved quickly to tie up her prisoner with titanium webbing and throw him into the back of her jeep as well as her camp. Moving away from the location quickly, Helen heard her iphone vibrate and was glad when it was Will saying they were landing in Africa. Helen realised the team would be here in a few hours. Finding a new location for her camp Helen set about securing her prisoner. She was surprised when he came round much quicker then she anticipated.  
"Bitch!" He spat at her, his voice slightly distorted as Helen figured his nose was broken.

"Where did you come from?" Helen asked as she shone a torch in his eyes not surprised to see the pitch black.

"From my mother where else do you think?" The vampire retorted back.

Helen used the torch to hit his broken nose again not bothered by the blood now smeared on the lens or his grunt of pain.

"Seriously if you don't know about the birds and the bees then you're a pathetic human." The vampire joked again.

"Answer the question and I'll re-set your nose." Helen told him.

The vampire just smirked before sniffing the air. His eyes on her, leering at her as if he found out some secret.

"You reek of that half-blood mongrel. You must be a quick fuck or he really is as pathetic as his half-blood heritage." The vampire look disgusted at Helen.

Helen could feel her anger begin to boil. It was bad enough she was trying to deny the other night, bad enough to have a complete stranger saying your fears as well. Helen balled her fist but tried to remain calm.

"Oh trust me he cried your precious name. No he begged it that we wouldn't hurt you." The vampire was enjoying this too much but Helen could feel her gut twisting in fear for Nikola's life.

"Where is Nikola?" Helen asked trying to stop the gritted teeth she had.

"If he's not being bled like a piece of cattle then he's dead. Bled dry to revive the rest of us." The vampire licked his lips as if remembering the metallic taste.

Helen swung her first and felt the faint crack in the vampires jaw. But anger set in knowing it would heal. But clearly it did nothing to stop him talking.

"Un-tie me and I'll show you what it is like to be bitten by a true vampire. That pathetic pet of yours can't even stomach a proper bite. He's no man, he's just a boy." The vampire continued.

Helen punched him again, harder this time.

"He's more man then you'll ever me!" Helen shouted at him, her own dark eyes staring daggers to him.

"Oh feisty! I like my women like that. Come here again and I'll show you how a real man fucks a woman." The vampire flicked his tongue in the air.

Helen grabbed his broken nose and yanked it back into place with a sickening crack. The vampire yelled in pain and Helen slapped him till he was silent.

"Rough as well as feisty. I'm in luck here. Maybe you pathetic humans are worth my time after all." The vampire drawled.

Helen ignored him, her mind now focusing on Nikola. Helen hoped he was still alive as she knew she had to rescue him. Going back to her jeep she pulled out her binoculars and looked over to the cave once again. There was a commotion going on outside and she thought it was because of her prisoner. However she was horrified to see they were in fact beating the hell out of a man. Focusing the zoom more she thought she saw the familiar flash of clothes that could only belong to one man, Nikola Tesla. Two of the vampires held his arms out wide while another bite down into his shoulder. Even from a distance Helen could swear she heard him scream.

Helen had to put the binoculars down as the taste of bile was in the back of her throat. Knowing there was no way to hide it from her prisoner, Helen spat out the bile. Helen heard him chuckle but ignored it. Right now she wanted to kill him so she could go save Nikola. But she knew he would prove useful and her team would arrive soon. Helen just hoped it would be sooner.

Risking a glance with the binoculars she saw that the vampires had left entirely and Nikola was lying on the ground in a heap. Helen wanted to rush down there and save him but her mind screamed trap. Checking her phone again she saw she didn't have another message from Will so she sent one saying to let her know when he was close. The vampire was now winding her up whistling and saying Nikola was dead unless she moved now. It was getting on Helen's nerves as she kept Nikola in her sights and not once did she see him move. When her phone did go off Helen felt it was a blessing before seeing a second jeep park next to hers.

"Helen?" Will asked.

Even in his flashlight, Helen looked awful. It was the worse she had ever seen his boss look. Not even radiation sickness made her look this horrible.

"Will keep an eye on him, I'll be back soon." Helen pointed towards her prisoner before darting off towards Nikola.

Will went to ask something but knew it would be no point. Helen was gone and Will picked up her binoculars to see what she was looking at and spied a crumpled body on the ground.

"She won't be coming back. She'll be dead by the time she gets there." The vampire spoke up to torment his new captors.

"You don't know her." Will told him knowing his boss all too well.

"Even when she's running to try and save her dead lover? I doubt it." The vampire continued.

"Tesla? She's gone running to safe Tesla?" Will asked.

Henry didn't like the sound of this.

"Oh yes the half-blood mongrel. She seems to think he's worth saving just because he used her for a quick fuck." The vampire told them.

Will and Henry exchanged looks. They knew Tesla flirted like mad with Helen but they really honestly thought she kept declining his advances but now they were being told that wasn't the case. However Will started to think he was just saying it.

"Look you're only saying it to get us to drop our guard on you." Will told him.

"Ask your wolf friend. I'm sure he can smell it on her like I can." The vampire taunted.

Will looked at Henry but he remained silent not wanting to say.

"Henry?" Will asked.

"Sorry I don't sniff my boss." Henry replied as he walked away to find something to shut the vampire up with.

Will wasn't stupid he could see in Henry's body language that he was lying. Henry had picked something up but didn't want to say. Will just sighed and watched through the binoculars as Helen got closer and closer to Nikola and prayed that she could get there and back safe.

Helen moved between any rock and bush she could hide behind. Slowly she made her way closer till she ran out to Nikola and roll him over so she could rest his head on her lap. She heard a muffled grunt and couldn't but breathe a sigh of relief. He was still alive. Helen noticed her hands were damp and didn't want to think how much blood was covering Nikola's body.

"Oh Nikola." Helen whispered as she held him close for a moment, needing to feel him close and breathing.

"Helen?" It was a croaky whisper.

"I'm here. I'm here." Helen replied as she pulled him tighter to her body.

"Leave me here." Nikola croaked again.

"Never. I love you remember." Helen told him.

"They'll kill you. Leave me so you can escape." Nikola strained to say as he tried to move in her arms.

"No you're coming with me." Helen said to him as she stood up and dragged him to his feet as well.

Nikola groaned in protest. His body ached all over, his clothes were soaking wet from blood and sweat. Bite wounds covered his body which he knew would heal but with so much damage to his body it would take longer. It took a lot of effort to stand let alone trying to get one foot to move in front of the other. Helen was halfway back to camp when she heard behind her the warning shouts of the vampires. Helen hid behind a rock and pulled Nikola with her hoping that they hadn't seen which way they had gone or smells the blood from Nikola. Nikola went to peek round the rock and Helen pulled him back.

"Do you want to get caught again?" Helen asked.

"At least it would give you a chance to escape." Nikola replied.

Helen didn't know what to say so ended up kissing him; the taste of blood was on his lips. Helen pulled back when Nikola didn't respond. Nikola wasn't moving. Automatically Helen checked his pulse. It was there but so weak. Helen listened out again and didn't hear anything. Carefully peeking round the rock she saw she wasn't pursued. Helen half dragged half carried Nikola back to camp. Even though Will didn't like him much he still ran to his aid along with Henry. Helen noticed they had set up the big tent and Helen got Nikola inside and onto a camp bed. The gurgle from his chest worried Helen. Will helped Helen getting his shirt off after he noticed her ashen face and shaking hands. Now wasn't the time for grievances. Will went pale along with Helen at the state of Nikola's chest under his shirt. Bite marked littered his entire torso to the point where there didn't seem to a spot on him that hadn't been bitten. Also Helen noticed the stab wounds, not fatal places but painful. Then Helen noticed something gleaming at the top of his chest that shined silver rather than blood.

Helen pressed either side as was shocked when the end of a snapped blade seems to pop out of the wound. Nikola groaned and was suddenly thrashing from the pain. Helen knew he'd survived stabs t the heart before like in the catacombs under Rome but that was his only injury so he coped with it. But with all these injuries and blood loss he'd sustained, Nikola was weak and it was causing him great pain. Helen searched around and found the right pair of medical tongs as she pressed the wound again to pop the blade up. Grabbing it quickly, Helen slowly slid the blade out of his heart and chest. Both Will and Henry had to hold him down which resulted in Will taking a flailing fist to the face. The blade was pitch black like it was made from onyx and gleamed like glass. Helen put it aside and went back to checking his wound. Now the object was removed, his natural healing abilities could kick in and mend the damage. Helen theorised that the blade was stopping blood flowing correctly round his body and his healing abilities were trying their best to heal his heart being that it was a major organ.

The wounds went from red to pink to his pale skin colour during most of the night. Helen had naturally stood by his side, watching him, glad when she noticed his chest rising and falling at a healthier pace as time went on. Will had wanted to question Helen but had respected her need to make sure her patient was breathing. If this was a serious vampire problem they would need his knowledge to find a way to control it. Even though they knew how to handle Nikola, more than one vampire in the world would cause the apocalypse. Helen stepped outside for a moment of fresh air. Her emotions were still like a train wreck. Will followed her and Helen took a deep breath waiting for the questions she knew would come.

"So you and Nikola." Will calmly said as he stood next to her staring at the night sky like herself.

"I'm not sure." Helen replied as her mind began to make shapes in the stars.

"Ok." Will replied as he went silent and continued to stare into the night.

Helen knew Will long to know he wasn't going to say anymore he had heard enough. Helen knew she was emotionally unstable right now. Nikola was nearly lying on his death bed, vampires have returned as she has no idea how and the one man that could answer them is still healing. Even their prisoner had gone quiet. Apparently Henry lost his rag, went half Hap and stuffed and tied a load of titanium webbing in his mouth. Henry then took they're prisoner to the Cairo Sanctuary in the jeep he had arrived in. Will had the smart thinking ahead and said they may need a weapon against the vampires so he was to take him back and find something.

"Helen?" Came a weak voice behind the stargazing pair.

Will and Helen turned round to find Nikola holding onto the tent to stop himself from collapsing and holding his bare chest. Will nodded to Helen before disappearing to another part of the campsite. Helen went over to Nikola and pulled his hand away from his chest and saw the pink scar over his major stab wound. Helen replaced his hand and pressed her own tighter there and wrapping her other hand round his shoulders. Nikola didn't want to but he placed the arm that was holding the tent round her shoulders for support as she guided him back into the tent to his bed.

"You need to rest." Helen tried to order him but it came out more like a worried request.

"I can't rest knowing what's out there. I'm no longer alone in this world." Nikola replied.

Helen was glad she had her back to him then. Whether he meant to or not, his words did cut. Nikola noticed and winced. He hadn't meant that she meant nothing just species wise.

"Helen I meant vampires not companionship." Nikola said to her.

"Is that all I am to you? A companion? A friend with benefits?" Helen asked him anger in her voice.

"No of course not, you mean much more to me." Nikola replied as he tried to get up but his body still ached.

Nikola could feel his bloodlust bubbling under the surface but he pushed it aside.

"How can you think I wouldn't come to that conclusion? We slept together Nikola and then you disappeared in the morning." Helen practically shouted not caring if Will could hear.

"Helen I didn't mean to be gone for so long, honestly." Nikola told her with truth in his eyes but Helen ignored his blues.

"Really? When if you were so content on exploring again you could have waited for me. I would have liked to have come exploring with you and maybe you wouldn't have gotten hurt. But also it would have been nice to wake up next to you." Helen continued to yell at him.

"You can wake up next to me still." Nikola said to her.

Helen turned to face him and saw he was now lying down on the bed leaving enough space for her to join her.

"Oh no. I'm not falling for that trick again." Helen told him.

Nikola stood up and went over to her, his fingers played circles over her wrists; calming her while his body was close. His lips ghosted over the join between her neck and shoulder.

"Trust me Ljubrav." Nikola said to her as he began to kiss that spot so gently and seductively that only a vampire would know.

Helen was turned to goo as she melted to his embrace and Nikola gripped her wrists and held her arms apart as he moved a knee between hers.

"Please Nikola." Helen nearly sobbed.

Before her brain registered what was happening, the grip on her wrists tightened and she felt his teeth sank into her neck. Then dread washed over her as she realised he was using his vampire teeth and she could feel her blood flow out of the wound weakening her as it did.

"Nikola... Niko... Nik... no..." Helen struggled before the loss of blood made her so weak she couldn't do anything but go limp.

Nikola slowly let her body slid against his so she could still feel how aroused he got from embracing his true heritage before she was laid on the ground. The tent all around them was torn to the ground as Helen could barely make out that the tent was surrounded by vampires. One approached Nikola, a female.

"Well done Nikola." The female said to him vampiric voice despite being in human form.

"Yes my queen." Nikola addressed her.

Helen's fear doubled realising that this must be Afina, somehow freed from the crystal and had Nikola under her spell. Not surprising considering she wore clothes that hugged her body and shoed off plenty of skin.

"Maybe you do deserve to be my king." Afina said to Nikola as she approached him.

Helen passed out when she saw him kiss her passionately noting blood dripping from their mouths and fearing it was her own.


	6. I Don't Remember

Henry returned to the camp in the morning and immediately grabbed his stunner. The large tent was ripped to pieces. The other jeep was tipped over and in pieces. Henry looked all around him before spying a form hidden under the wrecked small tent. Henry pulled back the canvas and saw an unconscious Will lying face down in the ground. Henry checked him and found some cuts but the main thing was that he was alive. Henry looked all around for any sign of Helen or Nikola and prayed that the blood on the floor was not there's. Henry loaded Will into the jeep and headed back to a Sanctuary safe house. Once there a medic from the Cairo Sanctuary came down to check on Will. Will woke up a few hours later.

"Vampires!" Will yelled as he bolted upright.

"Easy there dude." Henry said as he made Will lie back down.

"No Henry there was vampires, lots of vampires." Will was in panic.

"I think you must have banged your head and seen double of Tesla." Henry joked.

"No, not just Tesla, but others. Tesla is working with them though. Oh go they took Magnus!" Will stated.

"They took the Doc? And I'm not surprised Tesla would join his race. But seriously was Helen ok?" Henry asked.

"No, she was bleeding. Tesla was carrying her away. I think he bit her. From what I could hear before they attacked me." Will said with a groan as he reached for his throbbing head.

"Thank god vampire bites don't cause new vampires." Henry replied.

"Nope but it can still kill." Will replied.

"You mean the Doc is dead? I'm gonna kill him!" Henry was getting angry and it took a great effort to control his HAP side.

"I'm not sure. I don't think she was." Will said as he tried to remember looking for any key element, "She's alive. The way Tesla was holding her. It was too close like holding someone precious to you."

"Well I suppose that confirms what our prisoner said. That those two must be together." Henry said a hint of disgust that the doc would chose Tesla.

"Yes but why would he bit her causing her such harm?" Will asked.

It was bugging him but he didn't have the answer apart from the knowledge that he was siding with the other vampires.

 

Back at Afina's Tomb, Helen awoke painfully. Her neck was the most painful. Helen tried to move it but it hurt too much. Reaching a tentative hand to her neck she felt a wave of nausea and shock as she felt the dent of the bite on her neck. Her memory returned and the nausea returned stronger till she felt the need to retch. It took Helen a few moments to feel strong enough to sit to gather her strength. Looking around the room there wasn't anything spectacular. It was a small rectangle room. The walls were made of the same rock like material of the walls of the chamber that she and Nikola had found Afina in. Just thinking of him and Afina made her sick. But at the same time she felt let down. Helen had hoped that Nikola was being truthful about his feelings towards her. But still Helen couldn't shake this darkness that was coming over him. She understood that maybe he was glad to find out more about himself and his race. But she was fearful that he would want to restart his plans for world domination again. It took de-vamping him to realise what humanity was all about and for him to realise her work. But now all of that time was un-done.

The door slid open and Nikola walked into the room in vampire form. Helen wanted to revolt away. Normally seeing him in his vampire form gave Helen strength, strength from his being. Helen felt safe from seeing him. However now he was siding with the enemy.

"Helen." Nikola drawled in his vampiric voice.

Helen refused to look at him, instead focusing on the ground between his feet. Nikola stepped closer to her till he was standing in front of her feet.

"Helen, it's rude to ignore royalty." Nikola continued.

Helen still chose to ignore him. Nikola crouched down in front of her his black eyes staring at her. Without warning he grabbed her hands and yanked her to her feet. Helen tried to fight him but his strength was too strong, much stronger then she had known.

"Why I didn't drink human blood sooner I'll never know." Nikola said to her as he used one hand to pin her to the wall and the other to run a finger over his mark.

Helen tried to kick out at him but he held her firm.

"Now Helen, don't fight it. It makes it more painful." Nikola told her as he moved to bite her neck again.

Helen didn't want to but she watched him. Then she noticed the hand holding her tightened and shake. Helen waiting for the sharp pain of his teeth punching her skin but it never came. Helen turned to face him now. His eyes were screwed shut and his mouth clamped shut. Helen could see he was fighting some internal battle.

"Nikola, what's wrong?" Helen asked.

Nikola opened his eyes and Helen stared back into his scared blues.

"Help me." Nikola asked.

Helen was now shocked by his words.

"Tell me Nikola. What's wrong?" Helen asked again.

"I can't... I don't mean to harm you. I swear Helen." Nikola told her before giving her lightly over his bite mark.

The sensation sent a wave of pleasure through Helen but she knew now wasn't a time to dwell on such things. Nikola let her go and left the room quickly. By the time the door shut again she heard him roar and growl in frustration before leaving her alone. Helen was left to her thoughts once more as she tried to figure out what was happening to her old friend.


	7. Digging in the Dirt

Will and Henry travelled back to the Cairo Sanctuary. Once there they filled in the rest and their Sanctuary back home of what was happening. Biggie naturally wanted to come over and bash Nikola's head in. Kate's eyes gleamed as she tried to figure out how much money a vampire was on the abnormal black market. But their main priority was to figure out how to take out so many vampires.

"Can we not shoot them?" One of the heads of Sanctuary asked.

"Unfortunately not. Even though it will hurt, it wouldn't kill." Will replied.

"Sunlight?" Another offered.

"Nope," Will replied. "Unfortunately being that Sanguine Vampiris was such a rare abnormal that we know next to nothing about them. Our only living Vampire was Nikola Tesla, and he didn't like to reveal much about his race except they were rulers. The only time he did was to say that stakes, sunlight, holy water and garlic were all made up by the vampire to throw hunters off their trails."

"And they are far too dangerous to get up close and cut their heads off." Another head of Sanctuary added.

"Getting that close would more than likely result in death for the person attacking, not the vampire." Will replied with a sigh.

Will then remembered he had a prisoner and also he wished he knew how the Praxians fought the vampires but communication between them was not brilliant if at all. Will thanked the other heads before closing communications. Declan remained.

"Will, how about that weapon Tesla made to fight the cabal super abnormal? Essentially it was vampires we were facing then." Declan said as he tried to remember.

"Brilliant. But what happened to the weapon? After we defended Old City I never saw of it again." Will said glad that someone had a good idea.

"Not sure and the only one who would know is Magnus but she's..." Declan started.

"...Captured by the enemy." Will finished.

"The two people we need the most and they are in the enemy hands. Or in Tesla's case it would seem like he's working with the enemy" Declan said not liking the idea of Magnus being captured or Tesla turning against his oldest friends.

"Wait Henry worked on the weapon as well. He may know something about it enough to figure it out." Will remembered as well.

"Hopefully. Do you need my help over there at all?" Declan asked.

"I'll call you if I do." Will said to the Englishman before running to find Henry.

 

Back in the vampire lair, Helen had been summoned by Afina. Two vampire guards had taken her from her cell and walked her for what seemed like ages till she realised they were heading upwards. There was a long corridor and at the end was a large double set of doors made out of thick metal. The guards opened the doors and shoved Helen inside, not caring if she fell over before shutting the door and standing guard outside. Helen surveyed the room and was amazed to see sunlight coming in. The whole room was open planned and the outer wall was pillars leaving the place open to the outside. Helen couldn't see anyone and made a break for the balcony that ran right round the edge of the large room. Once there Helen saw that she was in fact high up in the air with an oasis garden below her some four stories down. Now Helen was confused as she never saw this in any maps of the area.

"Confused are we?" Came a female voice behind her.

Helen turned around to see she was facing Afina. Nikola was also present but settle on lounging across the king sized four poster bed constantly watching her like the cat that stole the cream. Helen tried to shake all her confusion away and maintain a sense of calm and authority but Afina wasn't at all phased by it. If anything it amused her.

"Now I must say thanks for freeing me. Nikola here was so kind to fill me in on the details." Afina told Helen.

Nikola just smirked before picking at the fruit in a bowl beside the bed. Helen could feel her anger returning for Nikola.

"Now Helen don't be mad at me. You know this is what I've always wanted. The return of my people and here they are. In the place of our first great rulers the Pharaohs. Fitting place I think." Nikola said to Helen as he sat up more to face her.

Helen lost it. All her emotions for him these past few days had left her shattered emotionally. She loved and hated him. She cared and despised him at the same time. Helen went to strike at him with her fist but Nikola leapt off the bed and was behind her too fast for Helen to react. Helen felt pain in chest as Nikola pushed her and held her bodily against one of the posts.

"Don't fight me Helen. I've found my true calling and I relish in it. Blood makes me stronger and faster. Your blood my dear, well, I can see why Johnny Boy wanted it so bad." Nikola said to Helen.

Nikola had his mouth so close his bite mark on her it was teasing her with every word he spoke. Afina just laughed as she watched Nikola tormenting his former lover. Nikola flicked his tongue over it causing Helen to gasp in pleasure before she growled in anger.

"That's not something I expect to hear from someone with blood so sweet I feel like a bee that found the honey pot." Nikola said to her as he pushed his body further into the back of Helen's.

Helen winced in pain as she was sure if Nikola pushed any harder her ribs would crack. Helen refused to show any emotion. Her mind was racing, trying to figure out Nikola's unusual behaviour towards her. They had been friends for so long that Helen felt certain Nikola just wouldn't throw all of this behind him and abandon his friends for his race. Especially after everything they had gone through together. Helen could feel Nikola's clawed hands at her hips as his face buried into her neck, teasing her skin with his teeth so she didn't know if he was going to kiss her or bite her.

"Nikola stop this nonsense. This isn't you." Helen said as she pushed back as hard as she could.

Nikola used the gap to spin her around and slam her back against the post. Helen couldn't hide the look of pain on her face as Nikola returned his body against hers. Helen didn't think about it as she head butted Nikola sending him reeling backwards before kneeing him in the gut. Helen quickly looked for a weapon and before she could grab a chair, Afina had launched herself at Helen and held her easily in one hand around her neck and off the ground. Helen couldn't breathe and her legs didn't seem to want to move to kick out. Helen blacked out but before all her senses shut down she felt the sharp pain of vampire teeth seeking into the other side of her neck.

 

Henry had spent almost a week trying to remember how Nikola had built his weapon. Having the prisoner around for his blood was helpful but they were hesitant to use it on him.

"Look if the fang dies then it works right?" Kate said knowing that as much as she'd love to sell the vampires on the black market they were too dangerous to live.

"Yes but then we lose any information he could provide us." Will reminded her.

"Yeah but I assume we are going to be saving Vlad as well as the Doc. So Vlad can tell us anything we need to know." Kate assumed.

Will and Henry were quiet.

"We're not saving Vlad?" Kate said a little confused.

Sure Nikola could be a pain but he had helped them all in the past with his inventions and knowledge. Plus Will knew he was possibly the last of the Five to keep Helen company in her long life rather than watching everyone she knows dies of old age around her.

"Kate he's sided with the enemy against Helen." Henry said to her as he continued to work on the weapon which was starting to look like the weapon they had used against the cabal.

"Yeah but what if he has no choice," Kate started and saw the look both Will and Henry gave her, "I mean he's outnumbered and everything. Maybe he's working from the inside till he can get the Doc out of there."

"No Kate. He's one of them and this is what he's been after for a long time. He's not going to forget about us his dream just for a few humans." Will replied.

"Yeah. To him we are nothing. We're not smart enough for him plus we're weak. I only just manage to get a little better respect being a HAP and mechanical knowledge." Henry added in.

"So we're going to wipe vampires off the face of the Earth for good?" Kate asked.

"That's correct." Will stated.

Biggie walked in on this and his feelings were immediately conflicted.

"I don't know." Biggie said as he brought in little Damien the Nubbin in his box.

"Why?" Will asked.

"Helen wouldn't want that, Ack." Biggie replied as he placed the box down carefully.

"They have her prisoner and clearly have hurt her by biting her. Who knows how many others are using her as their own private cantina." Will was about to snap.

"Just don't kill Tesla if you can help it, Ack." Biggie stated, "A long life isn't nice when you have no one who knows what it's like."

Will went to say something but Biggie left the room. Kate looked between Will and Henry before leaving and following Biggie out.

"They have a point." Henry said a little nervous.

"Just get the weapons working." Will said dryly before leaving him to work.

Henry looked over at Damien who just squeaked before hissing and disappearing at the sight of the weapon.

"Oh great you remember." Henry said as he continued working with a hissing invisible Nubbin beside him.


	8. Darkness

After several attempts the weapon didn't seem to be working. Not wanting to hurt Damien further they tried it on their prisoner. It didn't affect him till Henry must have found the right setting and the vampire was clearly in pain. They tried to get more information out of him but he refused. Henry fiddled with the settings some more and the vampire was close to death but only tormented them one last time.

"You think your one weapon can destroy us thousands! You'll be dead before you kill enough of us!" The vampire screamed through the pain.

Henry found the right setting and the vampire was dead. They monitored it in case it regenerated but so far nothing. The Sanctuary network decided to use his body for science and see what else they can learn from him.

"Well done Henry." Will congratulated the young tech.

"Now can you make more of this weapon?" Kate asked.

"Sure can." Henry said looking pleased with himself.

"You have a week to make as many as you can." Will said.

"I'll call in Alistair if I can, two of us making them can mean even more." Henry replied.

"Do it and also see if Declan wants to join us." Will offered.

Henry nodded and headed off to make the call. Will and the others began planning their assault on the vampire lair.

 

Helen awoke and felt drained instantly as well as feeling pain from her neck. Looking around she saw she was still in what she assumed was Afina's quarters. Beside her was a plate of food but Helen didn't want to eat it not trusting where it came from. Helen rolled away from it knowing she needed more time to rest from the blood loss.

"Eat you need your strength." A male vampire voice said.

Helen tried to find the source as she knew it was familiar. Nikola sat on the edge of the bed and pushed the plate towards her.

"No I won't eat it. You only want me to get my strength back so you can drink more blood from me." Helen snarled before collapsing against the bed her neck sore.

"If you want to die then so be it." Nikola responded coldly.

Helen looked at him then and saw he wasn't joking. Nikola had placed the food on the floor on too quick for Helen to react, he pinned her to the bed. Helen tried to struggle but she didn't have the strength. Nikola just laughed before leaning in close to her ear.

"You can't beat us so join us." Nikola whispered before kissing down her neck slowly.

Once he hit the bite mark, Helen stopped fighting and wrapped her arms round his neck. Helen was furious with herself that her body was giving into the pleasure Nikola was causing rather than fighting for survival. Nikola licked over the bite and Helen's arms were almost crushing his neck to bring him closer. That's when she noticed something odd, a lump at the back of his neck. Helen pushed at the lump and it seemed to move under his skin and Nikola screamed in pain. Helen knew now what was wrong with him. Afina had placed an abnormal into him to control him. Good boy Nikola for fighting till the end.

"Nikola you have to fight its control." Helen told him.

"God it hurts." Nikola struggled to say as the pain lanced into his brain.

Helen could see sweat begin to bead on his skin as he tried to fight through the pain for control. Suddenly Nikola was kissing her on the lips. Helen tried to push him away but it cause the creature in his neck causing him pain that made him pull back.

"Kiss me Helen, and I'll save your live." Nikola breathed in his normal voice.

"Why? How will that work?" Helen questioned trying to figure out his plan.

"Ljubrav." Nikola whispered before leaning down and kissing her again.

Helen did respond this time till she felt his vampire teeth come through and tried to push him off her once again. Nikola growled at her settling his body between her legs to stop her from using them to push him off.

"Don't fight me Helen." Nikola's vampire voice came back through.

"Oh I'm fighting you till I get that damn thing out of you!" Helen promised as she punched him in the jaw as best she could.

Nikola just growled at Helen as he slammed his lips back to hers, one hand trailing down her body to her hips. Helen's eyes widen as she feared what he was going to do. Biting his lower lip, Nikola shock his head to shake himself free from her, blood dripping from lip till it sealed shut.

"That's not very nice." Nikola grinned at her as he licked his lips clean of blood.

"Neither are you with that thing in your head." Helen spat back seeing Nikola sat back on his ankles.

"I've got nothing in the back of my head. Apart from fantasies of taking you, willing or not, the pleasure is all the same." Nikola replied grinning at the thoughts.

"You're sick, let me help you." Helen tried to be nice one more time.

"I'm not sick. This is what I am. A vampire. King to the world and the vampire race." Nikola said as he made a gesture to the whole world.

"Really. Well how comes you're here rather than with your queen Afina." Helen said hoping to use his ego against him.

Nikola threw his head back and laughed as if she was stupid. Helen used the opportunity to move her leg and prepared to kick him.

"Sorry Nikola." Helen said as she kicked her foot straight into his groin.

The wide eyed strangled moan was enough for Helen to know that she had hurt him a lot. Nikola rolled off the bed to land in a heap on the floor hands between his legs. Helen wasted no time and grabbed the knife from the plate and sat on top of him, blade aimed at his neck.

"I hope you're cutting that damn thing out rather than finishing off what you started." Nikola groaned.

"I'm sorry about that Nikola. But I need you to hold still." Helen said as she tried her best to hold his skin taunt enough to cut into it.

Nikola tensed in pain not sure which part of his body hurt the most. It seemed to be going well; Helen could see something dark under his skin.

"I think it's a scarab beetle. Same thing as what the cabal used on my father." Helen told him.

"Get it out of me!" Nikola growled through the pain and Helen could hear the anger in his voice.

Helen could see the creature more and it was definitely a scarab beetle. But before Helen could find the right connection she noticed Nikola's wound began to close.

"Dammit!" Helen cursed as she tried to find it quickly but Nikola's advanced healing was too quick and the wound sealed shut on her.

Nikola could only sob knowing one of his races advantages was now his downfall. Helen placed a hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him. Nikola moved a hand to hold hers.

"Try again, please." Nikola asked.

"But the pain." Helen didn't like the thought of putting him through it all again.

"Do it!" Nikola shouted.

Helen momentarily jumped and Nikola mouthed his apologises before Helen went back to getting the scarab out.

"Nikola I'm gonna try a much longer cut to hopefully give me more time..." Helen started before Nikola butted in.

"Just do it! I won't be able to hold it back for much longer." Nikola snapped.

Helen nodded and made a cut the whole length of his neck. Nikola winced in pain and Helen could see his eyes cross from the pain.

"Hang in there Nikola. I need you awake to make sure I got this right." Helen told him.

With the longer cut, Helen could see the scarab more clearly as she isolated the right tendrils. But the wound was sealing up again. Helen made a daring move and moved the bug free, the wound sealed under the creature leaving the tendrils going into his neck. The creature didn't like it one bit as it tried to get back into its host body but it couldn't. Nikola didn't like the feeling either. He could feel the tendrils inside him but he could feel the creature moving around on his neck. But the trick worked. The creature let go of Nikola in search of a new host with Helen being the next possible one. Before it could latch onto her, Nikola spun round and grabbed the creature. The creature squealed not liking being denied a new host. Nikola let his claws grow as he tore the creature apart. Helen could only watch as she saw the man she cared about come undone.

Nikola was sobbing on the floor on his back. Helen put the knife down and moved to sit behind him as she pulled him to her and held him close. Nikola was staring at his hands as if there was something there that wasn't.

"What have I done?" Nikola asked.

"Nothing you didn't want to do." Helen answered him as she hugged him tighter.

"That's the thing. I did and I enjoyed it. My god I hurt people. I hurt you. I can't live myself." Nikola said as he seemed to give up on himself.

"Come on Nikola you'll be ok. We'll get through this like usual. I'll help you. But first we need to stop the vampires from re-taking over the world." Helen told him.

"How can you want to help me after everything I have done to you?" Nikola seemed to snap at her as he tried to pull out of her arms but ended up standing with her still holding him.

"Because I prefer to have one vampire in this world and I'd rather it was you." Helen told him.

Nikola looked into her eyes as she gave him a kiss to try and snap him out of his self-hating.


	9. Signal to Noise

The war had begun against the vampires once again. Will, Declan, Henry, Kate, Biggie and Alastair all had a weapon each but they couldn't make enough for everyone. Abnormal who wished to defend their lands against a vampire invasion lined up to take the brunt of the forces. Will knew if Magnus was here that she would disagree against them being here, trying to protect them to very end. But they had volunteered to help and Will knew he wouldn't be able to persuade them otherwise. The weapons were mounted on top of jeeps driven by Sanctuary members. The fight began quickly and the vampires had the upper hand in speed but as they're numbers dwindled they seemed to become confused. The Sanctuary members cheered seeing the vampires get cut down and retreat to the lair. Just when they're hope was high, Afina rallied her people and they fought back more vicious and more co-ordinated. Elsewhere in Afina's quarters, Helen was trying to get Nikola to see straight.

"Nikola you are not to blame for any harm that came to me. I forgave you a long time ago." Helen tried to plead with her vampire lover.

"If that is so, why do I still feel the urge to kill? That creature that was in me didn't make me do anything I wouldn't have wanted. Helen you have no idea how much I desire blood right now." As Nikola spoke his eyes changed to pitch black.

Helen didn't know what to do. She had hoped removing the scarab beetle from Nikola would return him back to normal but apparently his vampire side wasn't ready to give up as easy as the bug. A life of refusing blood then suddenly ingesting it, Nikola's body was craving more and more the one substance he refused to take. Human blood was acting like a drug on his body. Nikola had turned his back to her, leaning heavy on a table. Helen decided to try and distract his mind.

"Nikola how is this place concealed? We never saw this when we approached this mountain." Helen asked.

"It's concealed by the same technology as the Praxian map. It's an image but the image is real. From the outside they see a mountain and if you tried to fly into it, you'd hit a mountain. From this side you fly through the barrier." Nikola replied his voice changing to his vampire voice.

Helen didn't like the fact that her methods were failing her. His taste for blood and violence had been awoken and with it came a side to Nikola which even she had never seen. No matter what hair brained idea he came up with to bring back the vampire race or even his peace ray project, nothing was as dark as the Nikola stood before her. He turned slowly to face her, head tilted downwards in such a way that she could see his vampire grin but not his eyes. As he lifted his face so his eyes met hers, Helen felt visibly sickened. It wasn't lust or even desire in his eyes. It was of a dark want to harm and kill. It reminded her of John back in his Ripper days. Physically he looked innocent till you stared into his eyes. Eyes always revealed a person true intent as Helen believed. Helen backed away from him, her hands reaching behind her for anything loose to use as a weapon.

Even though Helen was backing away quickly, Nikola's slower pace seemed to match hers as he walked towards her. Helen fell backwards over a chair and by the time Nikola caught up she had only just stood back up again. Helen was caught; Nikola grabbed her by the scruff of her jacket at the shoulder.

"You can't escape me. Running only makes the thrill much higher for me." Nikola told her as he pushed her to the floor.

Helen tried to scramble away but Nikola wouldn't let her. The more she tried to get away the more he would laugh and hold her back. Like a cat playing with a mouse. So Helen gave up which stumped Nikola for a moment before he bent down and hauled her to her feet.

"You're not playing the game, so move." Nikola ordered her but Helen could hear the undertone of him fighting.

"Come back to me Nikola. Be my Nikola." Helen replied to him risking a hand out to him to touch his cheek.

Nikola seemed to break as soon as her fingers touched his skin. Sobs racked his body and Helen quickly grabbed hold of him in case he collapsed to the ground. Nikola also gripped onto Helen for dear life.

"Help me Helen. Help me." Nikola sobbed his lips barely touching her neck in fear he would hurt her or she wouldn't welcome his kiss.

Helen noticed as she lightly kissed his neck. A weight fell on her shoulder as Helen realised Nikola was resting his head on her, still crying into her shoulder.

"Helen, please. I can't trust myself with your pulse raging under your skin." Nikola groaned.

Nikola wanted nothing more than to respond to Helen's loving touches but his body was a mess and he felt like he could lose control and cause her harm. Helen nodded as she just held him close; taking comfort from the fact he was able to hold her if nothing else for the moment. Once they were back home she would help him gain back his control again. Helen was determined to get her Nikola back again.

"I am truly sorry Helen. For anything I have done to you. I was such a fool to go back." Nikola mumbled.

"Nikola you're not a fool you're a scientist. I understand you were curious about this place." Helen replied.

"Curiosity nearly got you killed as well. Therefore I am a fool. One messed up bloody fool." Nikola continued to rant.

"Stop it; you're not that at all." Helen tried to get through to him.

"No Helen I won't," Nikola said as he pulled back to look at her. "Ever since Oxford all I've done is cause trouble and harm. I should have stayed away and kept to myself. Remained the quiet one then none of this would have happened."

"Don't you dare Nikola! Don't you even think about regretting anything you have done. Do you regret the other night then. Whenever it was now as I've lost track of time. After I saved your life and re-vamped you?" Helen snapped back throwing his arms off her.

"No of course I don't. That's not what I mean. Don't confuse the issue." Nikola replied getting confused.

"I'm not confusing the issue. If you're saying you wish you never took the source blood then nothing that has happened between us ever happened. Not a thing. In fact I would probably be dead if I didn't have you to protect me when we all found out John was in fact Jack the Ripper. Is that what you'd rather?" Helen replied still angry.

No! Look let's just find a way out of here." Nikola replied as he could feel his own anger rising and with it his darkness within.

"And just where do you think you'll go?" Afina's voice spoke out from the doorway.

Helen and Nikola looked shocked to see her there and dreaded to think how long she had actually stood there.


	10. Darkness

Helen and Nikola stood stock still. Nikola knew he should say or do something but he didn’t want another bug stuck in his neck. Afina remained too calm as she slowly stalked towards them. It was a calmness that said she knew everything yet she acted like she might any moment wave her hand and dismiss them away. Nikola out of instinct stood in front of Helen to protect her. Afina’s eyes flashed dangerous at the move. Nikola didn’t care as he reached a hand behind him for Helen and at the same time still facing Afina. Afina flashed her fangs at Nikola in an attempt to should dominance, but Nikola didn't back down. Nikola vamped out but was too slow to stop the much quicker full blood vampire. Afina grabbed Nikola and threw him across the room, hitting a pillar with a crack. Nikola's body screamed at him to stay awake, to protect Helen. Nikola blinked a few times as he looked up and Helen armed with a chair breaking it against Afina which did nothing to slow her down. Nikola's vision seemed to be in black and white and he saw Helen. Brandishing the chair leg still in her hand as a stake of sorts. Fear and an intense cold washed over Nikola as he saw Helen stab Afina with the 'stake', it didn't do anything but piss the vampire off more. But now she was within arm’s reach of Afina and it was too late. Afina reached out and grabbed Helen by the throat. Helen sputtered at the lack of air but her eyes went wide along with Nikola's when she felt Afina using her vampire talons to stab her in the gut.

Nikola jumped to his feet and went to go to Helen's side. Nikola's black and white vision now had a new colour, red. Red of blood. Nikola's eyes were drawn to this new colour in his colourless vision. Nikola could feel his body reacting. His eyes going black, fangs coming through and then his talons.

"See Nikola, you can't hide the fact you're a vampire. You can drink your synthetic blood all you like but you know now only real human blood can keep you sated." Afina taunted him.

Nikola crouched down next to Helen. He could hear her heart racing, her pulse racing as her body went into shock and pain. Helen was shaking as she tried to stop the bleeding by pressing her hands against the deep wound. Nikola's eyes met Helen's. Nikola couldn't tell if she was pleading for help or in fear. Nikola's senses were in overdrive. Even from a distant he could smell the blood, even taste its sweet metallic taste. His stomach seemed to jump inside him at the thought of a new meal. His mouth watered making him swallow mouthfuls of saliva to stop himself from visibly drooling. Then he realised Afina had been starving him. Afina knew Helen would break her control over Nikola. But Nikola’s hunger was overriding any sensible thought.

The only thoughts running through Nikola’s head was that he should drink the blood spilling over the floor. He looked into Helen’s eyes and all he saw was fear and knowing. Fear for Nikola’s own sanity and knowing of what he is. Knowing her life was slipping away. But something was screaming louder in Nikola’s head. More than the fact that he loved this woman. It was knowing that she had survived everything the past century had thrown at her, even two world wars, and now she was dying as a prisoner to his own race. Helen could only smile as she looked into his eyes that were now as conflicted as his own being. They were still pitch black but there was a hint along the edges of his smoky blues. That was enough for Helen to hold on that little bit more. There was still something of her long time friend and lover in there. As Afina leant over his shoulder to see if he was drinking the blood, Nikola spun round, talons out stretched as he slashed at her throat. Blood sprayed from the wound and Afina gagged as she stumbled backwards.

Nikola didn’t give her a chance to recover as he charged into her. His vampiric speed and strength sending them both flying backwards across the room, Afina’s back hit the rock balcony ledge with a loud crack. Nikola raced his hand ready to strike again but he was sent to the ground as Afina brought a sharp knee to his gut, his belt buckle digging in winding him. Just as Nikola hit the ground a blue beam of energy struck Afina. Afina screamed before slowly dying on the spot from the anti-vampire weapon fired by Will and Henry together. A bloodied faced Declan ran over to Helen to stem the bleeding and radio in an evac. Nikola coughed as he stood up to watch the queen of the vampires struggle to breath as her body seemed to rapidly age to its true age. Nikola snarled showing his teeth menacingly letting his dark side show as he looked at her with rage and hate before kicking her frail body over the ledge. Her screams died out long before she hit the ground.

When Nikola spun back round to help Helen, all he saw was men carrying her away. At the time he didn’t notice Will, Henry or Declan walking in. Nor did it cross his mind who fired the blue energy weapon as he was on the floor in pain. Snarling and growling Nikola charged over and grabbed hold of Will and bit down on his neck. Will screamed in pain and once the blood hit his tongue he couldn’t hear Henry or Declan yelling at him to let go. Henry ended up going full HAP and choking Nikola till he passed out from lack of oxygen. Kate and Biggie ran into the room. Kate had a weapon drawn and Biggie was roaring at everything till he saw who started the problem.

“Ack, what happened to them?” Biggie asked looking between his old friend and Nikola.

“No idea but I can safely say his bite is worse than his bark.” Will groaned as he held his neck tightly, thankful that Nikola had not bit down on any vital blood vessels.

“A long road of recovery from them both.” Biggie commented before picking up the now unconscious Helen leaving everyone else to pick up Will and Nikola.

Biggie didn’t need to be told what had happened, his sense of smell and seeing the room in its disarray was enough for him to figure it out. He knew Helen would be ok. However Nikola he could smell something there, something dark, something not right with the normally wine smelling vampire. Whatever had happened to him, it was going to take more than all the wine in world to fix. But he also knew Helen would help him. No matter what anybody said or thought about Nikola, Biggie truly did understand a long lifetime was a lonely place unless you had someone there who also knew what that was like.


	11. No Self Control

The sun was hazy through the mansion windows, odd shadows could be seen to the right as the sun shone over the ruins of the church like structure attached to the mansion. Helen woke up in her bedroom and stared at the haze for a few moments and feeling the same haze over her mind and the dull ache of her body replaced the haze as her mind tried to piece together the sudden change from a vampire lair in Africa to her own bedroom back in the sanctuary. Helen tried to move but her abdomen refused to let her move. A flash of a memory showed her the reason why, Afina stabbing her. Her next thoughts were of Nikola and what had happened. She saw Nikola tackle Afina and passed out shortly after. As the haze lifted further she could hear footsteps in her room. Her mind raced as fear crept in knowing she couldn't defend herself right now. Even her neck ache from the bites she had received.

However she calmed down when she realised the footsteps were pacing back and forth across the room. Helen managed to get a glimpse of the figure in her room. Even though the sun was coming through the window, there were still shadows and the figure in her room was walking in the shadows obscuring the details. The figure was tall and slender. Every step or move of their hands seemed as though it was on purpose or an act. The figure was mumbling and as they increased the movements became agitated, almost like a child coming down from a massive sugar rush. Helen listened more closely to the mumbling as her mind slowly identified the figure in her room. However the figure identified them self.

The figure was male and stopped his pacing at the end of Helen's bed to face her. All twitching and shaking stopped for a controlled moment

"I know you're awake. I could hear your breathing increase and your heart rate increase as you panicked knowing someone was in your room. It’s like this annoying ringing in your ear and no matter how many times you hit your ear it never stops!" The man almost shouted before pointing a shaky finger to his ear.

The man returned to his pacing, hands back to twitching as he rubbed his hands together.

"You know, now I know how James felt all those years ago when he delved into those dark substances. Oh my thoughts are racing. My genius mind is working so fast I'm sure I could do anything!" The man said again as he stopped once more this time pointing to his head and Helen could see his eyes this time as he looked at her with wide eyes.

In that moment he reminded her of the time back in Rome when he commented on his genius mind. Even though there was a hint of madness then, this time he looked like a true maniac. Helen felt a cool chill wash over her body as she saw how unpredictable this man could truly be. He continued his pacing.

"Can't you see Helen? This is what I should have done a long time ago. I should have drank blood to protect you more from the likes of Druitt rather than steer clear and head to other countries so the murders couldn't be pinned on me anymore. But then, now I've tasted it I want more!" He said before looking like a sudden thought struck him. "Is this what power mad feels like? To be hungry for more power?"

Helen suddenly felt afraid as the man in her room was becoming even more erratic then she'd ever known him. Helen moved her hand willing it to find cold.

"Because if it is I want more. I feel so alive right now its suffocating me. But you're just lying there so weak and I have the power to you make you better and myself stronger. It doesn't hurt much." The man said before turning to leap towards Helen.

Helen moved with a speed that didn't fit her look or condition as she drew her gun and pulled the trigger several times. The man slumped down to the bed beside her, all traces of madness washed away and replaced with a pained sleep. Helen knew that the effort to fire her weapon had sapped all her strength that she had built over her long sleep. Using the last of it she pulled the man closer into her arms to rest his head on her shoulder while she ran her hand through his dark hair to soothe him and keep it off his sweating brow while he shivered, a clear sign of withdrawal.

"Rest now Nikola. It might take me a long time but I'm going to help you through this dark recovery." Helen whispered before closing her eyes once more knowing that Nikola's pain would take a very long time to go away and one he would never forgive himself for.

The End?


End file.
